"Meanwhile, the quest of Vitezslav Lavicka to bring Nicky Carle to Sydney FC is official after the coach sat down with the player's agent before last week's A-League grand final to discuss how they could get the Socceroos playmaker back from England.
Carle's difficult stint abroad has culminated in his considering a return to Australia, a move that would shoot him from the fringes of Crystal Palace's first team to near top billing at whatever A-League club he joined. But after previously saying he would only ever play for the Newcastle Jets - who helped to propel him into stardom - it appears that the 28-year-old favours a move back to Sydney, where his family lives.
Carle and Mile Sterjovski trained with the Sky Blues before last year's World Cup qualifiers, and while Sterjovski quickly moved on to sign with Perth Glory, Carle was a popular figure with Lavicka. While rumours have long linked Carle with a move home, only now are things starting to get serious.
''It was an interesting appointment with Tony Rallis [Carle's agent], it's one of the possibilities that we are looking at,'' Lavicka told the Herald. ''I know Nicky Carle, he impressed me on the pitch and off the pitch as well when he was with us last year.''
Yet while Carle would gladly accept a move to Sydney, money could thwart any potential deal. Carle is understood to want wages that would effectively place him in the marquee bracket. There is also the matter of negotiating a deal with Palace, who hold Carle's registration for another two years."

"FFA last night confirmed they were in talks with Saudi royal, Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Nasser, reportedly interested in a controlling stake in the Roar, but would refuse to deal with the matter through "middle man" Tony Rallis."